Harry Potter Schoolbooks Box Set: From the Library of Hogwarts: Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, Quidditch Through The Ages

Amazon.com

Now, the classic books from the library of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry--Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them and Quidditch Through the Ages--are available in hardcover in a sturdy boxed gift set. (These books are written by J.K. Rowling herself under the pseudonyms Newt Scamander and Kennilworthy Whisp.) Finally, Muggles will have the chance to discover where the Quintaped lives, what the Puffskein eats, and why it is best not to leave milk out for a Knarl. The Quidditch textbook explains where the Golden Snitch came from, how the Bludgers came into existence, and why the Wigtown Wanderers have pictures of meat cleavers on their clothes. Both books, designed to look like Harry Potter's actual, used Hogwarts textbooks, feature silly scribblings from Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Proceeds from the sale of this gift set will go to improving and saving the lives of children around the world. Harry Potter fans, rejoice! (All ages)

Book Description

When first released to Muggles in March 2001, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Quidditch Through the Ages further enlightened Harry Potter fans about the dangers and delights of the wizarding world. Now these two charming works of non-fiction are available in hardcover -- in a special keepsake slipcase edition!

Customer Reviews:

Harry Potter Schoolbooks.......2007-09-24

I really enjoyed these books. They were an enjoyable sampling of a few extra aspects of the Harry Potter universe. J.K. did a good job with fleshing out the history of quidditch and the variety of magical creatures that get mentioned throughout the HP series.

Cute and entertaining.......2007-08-29

A must read for Harry Potter fans. Quidditch Through the Ages is written to appear like a book that is actually been checked out from the Hogwarts Library while Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them is an actual textbook used by Harry and Ron. The markings written by Harry and Ron in the book are priceless.

Harry Potter Schoolbooks.......2007-08-23

It is an amusing set of books. If you have all seven books, you will also like this set. I didn't realize that Rowling had written this set around book five. The money from the sales goes to charity and the odd facts are interesting. She is creative in her description of the different beasts in the first book and the history of quidditch in the second book. The other games that predate quidditch are amusing.

Good companion.......2007-08-16

These books are good to fill in the blanks that all of the creature and quiddich references leave in the Harry Potter series. they are short enough to read in one sitting, so they are worth it for any Harry Potter fan wanting to get a little more out of the HP universe

A Great Complement to the Harry Potter Series.......2007-08-16

These two books complement the Harry Potter Series. Designed as "school books" for Harry, they explain the game of quidditch and the different beasts which inhabit the wizarding world.

If you are a serious Harry Potter fan, you need these books

Average customer rating:

This was a very funny book!
Hot Diggety Dog - your kids will love this!
Not as good as the "Bus" or "Stay up Late" books
love it love it love it
A Morsel of Gem

Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog!, The

Manufacturer: Hyperion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0786818697
Release Date: 2004-04-19

Amazon.com

Sesame Street veteran and Emmy Award-winner Mo Willems returns with a fast, funny follow-up to Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!--only this time, the short-tempered pigeon faces his perfect foil in a "special guest star" duckling. In the previous Pigeon book, author and illustrator Willems expertly distilled the escalating emotions of preschoolers all too anxious to get their way. The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog--also a simple and sparsely illustrated story--explores the flip side of that coin, exposing the poker-face persuasive powers of young negotiators. The pigeon just wants to greedily eat the hot dog that he's found: "Oooooh! A hot dog! Yummy! Yummy! Yummy!" Then along comes the duckling, "scooty scoot scoot!" with his insistent questions about hot dogs: "What do they taste like?...Would you say that it tastes like chicken?...Hey, I'm a curious bird." At first, the pigeon entertains the duckling, "Each morsel is a joy! A celebration in a bun!", but then he soon suspects the little bird might have designs on his delicious dog. In the end, of course, the clever duckling gets his way--and half of the hot dog: "You know, you're pretty smart for a duckling." (Ages Baby to Preschool) --Paul Hughes

Book Description

Sesame Street veteran and Emmy Award-winner Mo Willems returns with a fast, funny follow-up to Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!--only this time, the short-tempered pigeon faces his perfect foil in a "special guest star" duckling.In the previous Pigeon book, author and illustrator Willems expertly distilled the escalating emotions of preschoolers all too anxious to get their way. The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog--also a simple and sparsely illustrated story--explores the flip side of that coin, exposing the poker-face persuasive powers of young negotiators. The pigeon just wants to greedily eat the hot dog that he's found: "Oooooh! A hot dog! Yummy! Yummy! Yummy!" Then along comes the duckling, "scooty scoot scoot!" with his insistent questions about hot dogs: "What do they taste like?...Would you say that it tastes like chicken?...Hey, I'm a curious bird." At first, the pigeon entertains the duckling, "Each morsel is a joy! A celebration in a bun!", but then he soon suspects the little bird might have designs on his delicious dog. In the end, of course, the clever duckling gets his way--and half of the hot dog: "You know, you're pretty smart for a duckling." (Ages Baby to Preschool) --Paul Hughes

Customer Reviews:

This was a very funny book!.......2007-08-31

This book is very funny, and young kids as well as old will enjoy it very much.

Hot Diggety Dog - your kids will love this!.......2007-08-22

Kids love finding books about familiar characters and Mo Willems has created a new one with his comical pigeon. Instead of playing along with the reader, this time he answers to a little duckling who just wants a bite of his hot dog. The duckling is pretty sneaky and asks all kinds of questions (which drives the pigeon CRAZY) until finally the pigeon gives in and shares his hot dog with him. More great facial expressions and a simple story everyone will enjoy!

Not as good as the "Bus" or "Stay up Late" books.......2007-07-03

My daughter prefers this one to the others, probably because hot dogs are her favorite food. It's not interactive like the others, but it teaches sharing and has a cute, curious bird to make it fun.

love it love it love it.......2007-06-21

my daughters absolutely ADORE this book. it even inspried my daughter to start reading. it's just a clever and fun book that my daughters have reciting ever since the first time we read it.

A Morsel of Gem.......2007-04-15

It is amazing how in so few words and lines one of the most dreaded human behaviors can be exhibited as in this book: Conscience in the form of the Duckling wondering why the Pigeon doesn't do the right thing. And what a happy relief it is to do the right thing.

From Caterpillar to Butterfly (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science, Stage 1)

Average customer rating:

Great Informational Book for Children
4-year-old loves this book
Transforming Youth
Educational and Fun
The Perfect Butterfly Book for Preschool-Third Grade

From Caterpillar to Butterfly (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science, Stage 1)
Deborah Heiligman
Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0064451291

Book Description

A caterpillar comes to school in a jar. The class watches the caterpillar each day as it grows and changes. Soon, it disappears into a hard shell called a chrysalis. Then the chrysalis breaks, and a beautiful butterfly flies out of the jar! This is a perfect beginner's guide to the mystery of metamorphosis.

Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children 1997 (NSTA/CBC)

Customer Reviews:

Great Informational Book for Children.......2007-09-14

This book is a great way to introduce children to the metamorphosis of a caterpillar. It contains many great facts about caterpillars and butterflies.

4-year-old loves this book.......2007-08-10

My daughter has been raising two monarch butterfly caterpillars, which are now in the chrysalis stage. We bought this book to help her to understand what is going on, and she not only enjoys the book but has also learned a great deal. The book is very much at her level, but contains quite a lot of information. The drawings are also very appealing. Based upon our experience of this book, I intend to purchase more titles from this series.

Transforming Youth.......2007-03-02

Excellent account of the transformation from caterpillar to butterfly. It's a great gift for children and butterfly loving adults alike.

Educational and Fun.......2005-07-20

My 3 year old daughter loves it. It explains the process at a level she can understand. Great when used with the Butterfly Garden.

The Perfect Butterfly Book for Preschool-Third Grade.......2003-10-22

I am the director of a lower school (pre-k-2nd) and we have used this book for years. It is the perfect way to introduce children to the wonderful world of metamorphosis. And if you can also actually get the Painted Lady Butterflies and "grow" them in your class, it is an invaluable experience. We have our children keep journals and then buy them each a copy of this great book (it's cheap in paperback) and they get to keep the experience forever. One correction to another review: painted ladies and all butterflies do spin chrysalids, not cocoons. They look similar, but the chrysalis usually has little specks of gold in it, which is where the name comes from. Yes I am a huge fan of this book--and a huge fan of butterflies. This author also has a lovely book about honeybees, called Honeybees.

Open the Barn Door, Find a Cow (A Chunky Book(R))

Average customer rating:

Portable and very interactive
Great book
Good book for a 1 or 2 year old
Cute Chunky Book
Cute simple book

Open the Barn Door, Find a Cow (A Chunky Book(R))

Manufacturer: Random House Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Board book

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ASIN: 0679809015
Release Date: 1993-04-06

Book Description

Illustrated in full color. Open the barn door and take a tour around the barnyard to find out just who's making all those wonderful animal sounds.

Customer Reviews:

Portable and very interactive.......2007-10-02

I too selected book primarily as it was an inexpensive book ( with good reviews) which helped meet a free shipping requirement ! what a gem.. Small yes, but my 14 month old son loves it !.The flaps are beautifully designed into the pictures and it is such a delight to see his face light up each time we lift a flap. . Yes the flaps are a little snug, but we do it together.. I loosen them as he turns the page and he then thinks he is doing it all alone ! Its nice and small, so its very transportable. I was looking for more of these... Zoo animals ???

Great book.......2007-09-19

This is a great book. My son flips up every page; he loves it. It's nice and compact which makes it perfect for an on-the-go book. I just bought a bunch to have on hand to give with baby gifts.

Good book for a 1 or 2 year old.......2007-09-05

This books associates animals with sounds and is great for a child who dose not yet read. There are no words, you make the sound of the animal and your child is suppose to identify the correct animal. There is a flap that hides a picture of the correct animal that you can open to display the correct answer. Fun little book but quite redundant and not challenging enough for a kid that already reads.

Cute Chunky Book.......2007-08-31

Perfect for your diaper bag and for those times when your infant/toddler is whiny...the open the door flaps will keep them occupied for a little while. Good value too!

Cute simple book.......2007-08-03

This book is simple and cute. It's a nice size for little hands and sturdy too. The flaps are a bit difficult to open when you first get the book, and I actually tore a few of them. All in all, this is a cute book to introduce animal names and sounds to a young child.

From Tadpole to Frog (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 1)

Average customer rating:

Did You Know Bullfrog Tadpole's Hibernate? - a review of "From Tadpole to Frog"
Educational fun!
the life of a frog
Another Great Kids' Book
very good

From Tadpole to Frog (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 1)
Wendy Pfeffer
Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0064451232

Book Description

Wendy Pfeffer describes the amazing metamorphosis from tiny, jellylike egg, to little fishy tadpole, to great big bullfrog. Holly Keller has created the archetypal frog pond and we see it through the seasons as the tadpoles grow legs and lungs and eventually hop onto land: bullfrogs at last. "Well-designed ink drawings washed with soft-toned watercolors stretch across the double-page spreads, showing the action above and below water level. . . .an attractive, general introduction."—BL.

1994 "Pick of the Lists" (ABA)
Best Children's Science Books, 1994 (Science Books and Films)

Customer Reviews:

Did You Know Bullfrog Tadpole's Hibernate? - a review of "From Tadpole to Frog".......2007-05-14

This is a nice book with attractive artwork that describes the two-year life cycle of the American Bullfrog. As a Stage One book "From Tadpole to Frog" uses simple sentences and concepts that are appropriate for toddlers, preschoolers, and young children up to about 8 or 9 years of age.

Besides a description of the Bullfrog lifecycle, and the 'where Bullfrogs can be found' map, there are pictures with brief descriptions of 5 other frogs, including the Leopard, Pickerel, Wood, Spring Peeper, and Gray Tree frogs.

Four Stars. Good artwork on every page. The color runs from edge to edge. Okay Read-aloud. The Bullfrog is interesting as even the tadpoles hibernate for one year. Nothing objectionable in my opinion; although I should note above that there is a brief mention of reproduction. [I mention this as some parents have concerns and have told me they appreciate such notes.] The book, in any case, says the following about frog reproduction:

At night you hear "Ba-ra-rooom... ba-ra-
room... ba-ra-rooom...". The males are calling
to their mates.

The female hear the call.
The male hugs his mate. He fertilizes her eggs as
she lays them in the water. Thousands of soft
jelly-covered eggs cling together in the cool water.

The artwork shows the frogs hugging, and neither art nor wordage was inappropriate or graphic, in my opinion. Certainly my children didn't think anything of it.

The AR reading level is given as 1.6 which means this is a book for a child in the second half of the first grade. While professionally assessed, this mom thinks quite a few first graders will need some help because of the vocabulary. More difficult words include: hibernate, thousands, whistle, creatures, stretching, fertilizes, speckled, and capture. Words they might not be familiar with are: mate, female, male, breathe, gills, and cling.

Educational fun!.......2007-01-19

I highly reccommend any and all of the "lets find out" books. Excellent teaching tools which hold a child's interest.

the life of a frog.......2006-07-24

Frogs are fascinating creatures. It seems children especially develop a fondness for them. This is a book that teaches children everything they'd want to know about frogs, and more importantly about how frogs start off as tadpoles before turning into frogs. If you have a child and he or she likes playing with frogs, give them this book.

Another Great Kids' Book.......2003-03-28

This is another great STAGE 1 book in the "Let's Read & Find Out" Science Series. The STAGE 1 Series books are written for preschool and kindergarten-age kids (age 3 to 6) about basic science concepts.
This book has 32 pages of nice illustrations (artwork NOT photography) to help the words tell about the developmental stages of frogs.

Some children's books miss the fact of who their target audience is. The "Let's Read & Find Out" books consistently keep subject matter easily understood using age appropriate vocabulary and keep a child interested at the same time.
We recently bought a home science frog growing kit. This book is perfect read along material to show my five year old son what to anticipate in coming weeks.

The books are written for the reading ability of an "average" 3 year old. Older kids may very well get bored with the simple reading in this book. But, they should find the information about frogs fascinating, especially if they are participating in growing some at home or in class! Remember how much fun frog eggs and tadpoles were as a kid?

We have several books in this series and are pleased that our son enjoys them so much.
John Row

very good.......2000-04-18

This book is very appropriate for any young one learning about frogs. My nephew has learned alot from this book about where frogs come from. The pictures are real and not drawings which I like.

What's It Like to Be a Fish? (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 1)

Average customer rating:

serves its purpose
A must-have for elementary science teachers
Unexamined metaphysics
Great science book for young kids!

What's It Like to Be a Fish? (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 1)
Wendy Pfeffer
Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0064451518

Book Description

How can fish live in water? Why don't they drown? The answer to this fishy question and more can be found in this latest addition to the Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series. The book clearly explains how a fish's body is perfectly suited to life underwater, just as our bodies are suited for life on land.

1996 `Pick of the Lists' (ABA)
Best Children's Science Books 1995 (Science Books and Film)

Customer Reviews:

serves its purpose.......2007-07-25

Cute book. I liked all the info except it talks about what temp. to keep your fish tank at.......and I used it for a preschool students. Way over their heads.

Overall, good info, realistic, and cute!

A must-have for elementary science teachers.......2007-04-05

This is an excellent book to introducing the levels of classification for living things. This book explored the physiology of fish in language that young children can understand. The facts are presented in a way that is not overwhelming to children. The illustrations are great and they really show what its like to be a fish. I have used this book with my preschoolers and they love it.

Unexamined metaphysics.......2006-08-28

My boy brought this home the school library and the title of the book intrigued me. What is it like to swim by swishing your tail, round and round, in a small little bowl; or, eating fish flakes sprinkled from above when the person decides it's time to be fed; or to live in an environment that deteriorates day after day into murkiness until you are suddenly scooped up by a net and put into an even smaller container while your bowl is being cleaned? What IS it like to be a fish? Alas, there are no answers to that question found in this book -- pity.

But ontological musings aside, this book is a good little read for kids who, for the first time, are interested in having a fish as a pet. The book uses the common goldfish as its example. It shows the different environments in which a little child might encounter a fish: a bowl, an aquarium, a plastic bag being brought home from the pet store and swimming around in a backyard pond. It also tells what the different fins are called, how do fish sleep, are they warm or cold-blooded, how do they breath water when I can't, and similar questions a young child might ask when they have their first fish. It tells you how to set up a goldfish bowl and why you put the bag in the water for awhile without setting the fishies free. Basic stuff for the adult, good for the child who shows interest in having a fish pet. Now if only that title-question was answered...

Great science book for young kids!.......2001-04-05

Wendy Pfeffer has a talent for making difficult science concepts understandable to young children. This is a lively and very kid-friendly book with cheerful illustrations that kids will enjoy and learn from.

Who Eats What? Food Chains and Food Webs (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science, Stage 2)

Average customer rating:

love it
Who Eats What? Food Chains and Food Webs
Food Chains and Food Webs
My 2nd Graders Thought This Was Cool
Good but not great

Who Eats What? Food Chains and Food Webs (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science, Stage 2)
Patricia Lauber
Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0064451305

Book Description

An award-winning author and artist explain how every link in a food chain is important because each living thing depends on others for survival. "Clear, simple drawings illustrate the clear, simple text. Informative and intriguing, this basic science book leads children to think about the complex and interdependent web of life on Earth."'BL.

Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children 1996 (NSTA/CBC)

Customer Reviews:

love it.......2006-06-15

I used it to make an interactive bulletin board for my classroom. It is simple but it gets the point across. I use it with my 8th and 9th grade students, and they don't mind that it's a picture book.

Who Eats What? Food Chains and Food Webs.......2005-10-13

I found this book to be very entertaining and I feel the children's interest held to the very end of the story.

Food Chains and Food Webs.......2004-11-05

Detailed examples of food chains and food webs, but hard to follow the arrows in the illustrations in food chains.

My son would prefer just reading about the types of meals each animal species eats and how they kill it as opposed to the food chain process. There are several pages that have arrows pointing from one item to another and it gets confusing trying to sort it all out.

We begin with seeing a caterpillar eating a leaf on an apple tree until he becomes the dinner of the arriving wren. When a hawk comes around he eats the wren. In this example the food chain begins with the leaf and ends with the hawk. It is described how the animal at the top of the food chain is the last eater because it is the one no one else will eat.

There are other short chains like when you eat an apple off a tree or drink milk in a glass. The cow eats the grass and the milk comes from the cow. There is a detailed diagram with a girl eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, an apple and a glass of milk. Food keeps us alive and animals need to catch the food they need to survive. First we begin with green plants, as they are the only living things that can make their own food and do not need to eat something else. Animals depend on green plants as well.

During the summer months Antartica comes alive with tiny green plants that are eaten by krill. The squid will in turn eat the krill, which looks like shrimp. The killer whale can eat a sperm whale or a blue whale.

When you change your eating patterns you are changing the food chain as well. Fishermen kill krill but they cannot kill them all since this is what happened when they almost wiped out the sea otters in the Pacific Sea. It is important to take care of the earth so all living things have something to eat and in turn we help them and ourselves in the process.

My 2nd Graders Thought This Was Cool.......2003-06-04

Interesting, written on a level primary school students can understand, and packed with information

Good but not great.......2001-08-01

By the time the kids are at this level most of them already have some idea of the food chain concept (and anybody who has played Magic School Bus Animals definitely will!). It sits right at the cross roads of two levels- a solid first grade book, perhaps.

What Lives in a Shell? (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 1)

Average customer rating:

Wonderful book to get before and during a beach vacation
Ocean/Shells
what lives in a shell

What Lives in a Shell? (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 1)
Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld
Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0064451240

Book Description

What makes a shell like a house?

A house is a home for you, a nest is a home for a bird, and a cave is a home for a bear. But for some animals a shell is a home. Snails and turtles and crabs and clams all have shells that act as their homes and protect them from harm. In this book you'll learn all about these and other crustaceous creatures, for whom a shell is just the right sort of home.

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful book to get before and during a beach vacation.......2007-10-17

This book was very facinating for my 4 year old. We took it on our beach vacation and she learned so much since she could see the things she was reading about. She has also wanted to read it since coming home. A wonderful book.

Ocean/Shells.......2007-07-07

This is a wonderful book that takes shell collecting to a greater depth.
As you show a shell collection, use this book to illustrate to the children what used to live in a particular type of shell.

what lives in a shell.......2007-05-27

As a preschool teacher i find this book very interesting to 4 year olds. children loves to see the picturesandlike to disscus the context.

Dancing with Your Dark Horse: How Horse Sense Helps Us Find Balance, Strength and Wisdom

Average customer rating:

Good ideas and insights
Super-Natural Shaman
Well written book of excuses
Be preprared for introspection and self-analysis
Irene Adler, Nicole Wallace and...Stella?

Dancing with Your Dark Horse: How Horse Sense Helps Us Find Balance, Strength and Wisdom
Chris Irwin , and Bob Weber
Manufacturer: Marlowe & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1569243875

Book Description

In Dancing with Your Dark Horse, Chris Irwin, world-renowned as one of the most successful horse whisperers in North America, further explores the intriguing spiritual connection he has discovered between human and equine nature. Based on his more than twenty years of working with, training, and observing horses, Irwin explains how the characteristics necessary to building good relationships with horses can in turn be used to establish a positive balance between mind, body, and spirit in our own lives. Dancing with Your Dark Horse will help readers see that horses have a great deal to teach us about how to live happier, healthier, and more balanced lives.

Customer Reviews:

Good ideas and insights.......2007-09-25

Interesting ideas linked with inisghts into Chris Irwins personal life, trials & tribulations. Very readable.

Super-Natural Shaman.......2007-06-11

I can see how some might view this work as a book of Chris Irwin excuses. He bares his soul for the world to see, so when one only skims the surface and avoids going deeper, it appears shallow.

I was so impressed with this book that I immediately went on line to Chris's website and bought every single one of his traing DVD's (I train horses for living and I am always looking for ways to better communicate with them). It is so rare to find a person who connects to the horse the way he does. Yes, he's made mistakes, but I don't know anyone who hasn't. And, not once, did I read anywhere in the book, where he said that it was ok that he beat on Stella. He simply pointed out the events and his frame of mind that lead up to his unraveling.

This book touched my heart in ways I have never had a book do before. Chris is a "Super-Natural" Horseman (read the book and you'll understand the super-natural vs. natural horsemanship), who shares with the reader his path to hell and how he made it out. He's not a showman, or a salesman, he's a horseman on a shaman's path.

Namaste

Well written book of excuses.......2006-09-13

Chris Irwin wrote this book after beating a mare named Stella at a demonstration. He'd been working hard and shouldn't have accepted the invitation that day; he had been pushing himself too hard. The manager of the event set him up by sending three mares that didn't pasture together into the arena, and a fight broke out between the horses. Chris fueled the fire by reacting to the situation and beating Stella after getting the other two mares out of the ring. He nearly ruined his career as a result. And this book of excuses is his attempt at finding a silver lining in that situation.

If you want to hear about how Chris' life has unravelled... how a young man his age has been married four times in his attempts to overcome his dysfunctional childhood, then this story may peak your interest.

If you want to see a picture of Chris skiing, and a photo of Chris teaching his son to ride a bike, and a photo of Chris playing guitar and singing at a wedding, and a photo of Chris in his cowboy cocaine days in the 80's, and a photo of Chris when he was 15 on the rowing team in high school and won the championship -- then this is the dark horse book for you.

Every photo is "Chris this" or "Chris that" -- and most of the photos don't relate to the text. It felt egotistically motivated, and I began to realize that Chris' dark horse is his insecurity -- and he hasn't conquered it yet.

I'm very interested in learning about the spiritual connection between humans and horses; but this wasn't the book for me.

I respect everything that Chris Irwin has accomplished in his career, but he needs to forgive himself and stop making excuses, before he can stop dancing with his dark horse.

Be preprared for introspection and self-analysis.......2006-05-21

Well known clinician, Chris Irwin, met his match in Stella, a dark mare who refused to play games. She challenged Chris, forced him to decide what was most important to him, and then Chris, in the form of this book, shares his lessons with us.

Unlike most of the other books I've read, Mr. Irwin calls it as he sees it. He doesn't sugar coat the truth, that "natural horsemanship" is an oxymornon (there's nothing natural about putting saddle and bridle on the horse and forcing it to go counter to its natural instincts which tell it to flee), that somebody has to be the better horse, the boss, and that horses provide a mirror for our thoughts and fears. He provides food for the brain, stuff to think about, and in sharing his story, he brings the knowledge he's gained to others.

I found this book to be very thought-provoking. I find myself thinking about my relationship with my horse in a completely different light. Could it be my inner fears (of falling off, getting hurt again) are mirrored in her flighty nature? Perhaps by facing my own shadow self, my dark horse, that it will help our relationship? Mr. Irwin, through his prose, seems to think so.

I recommend this book for anyone seriously pursuing a relationship with their horse. From backyard ponies to professional trainers and riders, anyone can benefit from the information in this horse. And if you don't even own a horse, but am looking for a little soul searching, I'm going to recommend this book too. It is an amazing piece of work, and I am looking forward to reading Mr. Irwin's other titles.

Irene Adler, Nicole Wallace and...Stella?.......2006-02-07

Some have called Chris Irwin the Dr. Phil of equines. I guess I have always kind of thought of him as an equine profiler. His tremendous instinct for and knowledge of horse psychology is what makes him such an observant trainer and teacher. His second book opens with a humbling tale of a mare that brought him to his knees so to speak. A mare named Stella that bedeviled this excellent horse whisperer and sent him scrambling out of the round pen without his composure. Now if Mr.Irwin were a fictional character I would imagine Stella the mare would occasionally turn up at future clinics when he least expects her. Appearing once or twice in his videos and books. Squaring off with him in the tradition of Sherlock Holme's Irene or Bobby Goren's Nicole. But Stella is real and she forced Irwin to look hard at himself as a person and a horseman. That introspection weaves in and out of the theme of this book. Irwin's personal stories are combined with valuable training and riding advice. Probably some of the best guidance out there for equestrians. What I appreciated most about this book was the fact that spirituality and personal development were never ignored in the pursuit of excellent horsemanship. In fact it's vital. Read this book and discover how horses can aid you on your journey toward being true to yourself,toward healing, toward personal and professional achievement and better relationships. Someday I hope to have the great good fortune and privilege to ride in one of Mr. Irwin's clinics. Until then I have his book on my shelf as I strive to become worthy of my horse.

MAMA: a TRUE story, in which a BABY HIPPO loses his MAMA during a TSUNAMI, but finds a new home, and a new MAMA

Average customer rating:

Maybe I'm hormonal...
Sometimes Momma's are lost and baby's are placed gently in others care
Scary for little ones
Winter At Her Absolute Best
A PERFECT Picture Book

MAMA: a TRUE story, in which a BABY HIPPO loses his MAMA during a TSUNAMI, but finds a new home, and a new MAMA
Jeanette Winter
Manufacturer: Harcourt Children's Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Picture Books | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0152054952

Book Description

Set during the devastating tsunami of 2004, MAMA is the touching true story of a baby hippo that was separated from his mother when the wave hit. After struggling alone for several days, the baby was rescued by Kenyan wildlife officers and brought to live in an animal refuge. There, all by himself, he adopted a new "mother"--that just happened to be a 130-year-old giant male tortoise. And they've been inseparable ever since.

Although MAMA takes place against the backdrop of a terrible human tragedy, at the heart of this story is a moving and original tale of adoption--and of finding love and companionship in the least likely of circumstances.

Includes an author's note.

Customer Reviews:

Maybe I'm hormonal..........2007-05-20

...but every time I read this book I get teary eyed. Of course I use the word "read" loosely as there are only two words in the whole book: mama & baby.

I found this book after reading Owen and Mzee (Isabella Hatkoff) which was a short non-fiction book with photographs detailing the remarkable story of a baby hippo that lost his mom in the 2004 tsunami; he is later rescued and sent to a zoo where he is "adopted" by a giant 130 year old tortoise.

This picture book attempts to condense that incredible story in a handful of pages that are illustrated with simple and homely images using only the word "mama" to move the story line along. (There is also an author's note at the end which explains more about the true story.)

It's a pretty bold concept but I think it works. I'm still not a very big fan of the illustrations and the story is troubling but as a book it really does resonate for me and honestly I wouldn't change a thing about it. It's perfectly imperfect.

There are lots of reviewers that will argue it's a scary book thematically, but I think it's also very touching. I probably wouldn't recommend it to everyone but it's certainly one of the most moving picture books I've happened across.

I think this book may also find a welcoming home on the bookshelves of children who have themselves been misplaced from their parents and adopted by surrogates...or anyone who has tragically lost something and found it again in the unlikeliest of places.

Essentially it's a story of trauma and loss and hope and love. It's a story about life.

Sometimes Momma's are lost and baby's are placed gently in others care.......2006-11-02

To understand this book it helps to have a child placed in your classroom who has lost her momma. In my room this year is a sweet little one who lost her young momma at two. She has at 6 been placed into my hands and no day goes by that I don't feel the dissonance of realization of what this loss means for this little one. It's not easy being different than the other children, but its far worse when others cannot accept and process and care about this-preferring to "never ever speak" of such things. That's a real rejection of the experience of loss. This story is one of a baby hippo told in pictures...hippo baby goes in the world following mama, losing momma to a tsunami and then finding an old tortoise to call mama. As the journey is told through the pictures we feel the bonds of mother and child, the sadness of this tragedy, the honoring of the tragedy, the way the baby is able to go on through the disaster and be loved by another as the love of mom, our first love, is transformed into the love of a friend. This is a refugee story. In the end it is my belief we are all refugees, all searching for mother love, all looking for acceptance and love. This is a story to tell of that life journey. Absolutely poetic, absolutely charming. Children will relate, feel , learn if this is presented with love and context.....

Scary for little ones.......2006-10-19

My 1st grader said it best: "Cute pictures, but scary story!" She had tears in her eyes as she realized the Mama was gone and the baby was alone. He gets a new mama when he's rescued, but the ghostly outline of his lost mother is present on the last page. However, sometimes bad things do happen and for a parent who is interested in introducing the concept of death or losing a parent in some way, this book could be helpful. As an everyday bedtime story thought, I would say skip it. Could really worry some children.

Winter At Her Absolute Best.......2006-06-16

As a children's book librarian, I've been following Jeanette Winter's books for many years, and I have always been struck by how child-friendly they are. They are books written and illustrated for children, not for adults, and this is what makes them such welcome additions to any children's book library. With MAMA, we have the ultimate example of this. In life, even in a child's life, difficult things happen. Tsunamis happen. Hurricanes happen. Divorce happens. Rather than being told such things aren't real, children need to deal them, to process them, and in a way that provides comfort. And so it is that Winter, as a children's book author, fearlessly, and with the utmost of grace, tackles a difficult thing that really did happen, ultimately providing much hope and joy. Bravo, Ms. Winter!

A PERFECT Picture Book.......2006-06-16

This is perhaps the most beautiful and perfect picture book I have ever read. Using just two words throughout the entire text, brilliant author/illustrator Jeanette Winter conveys the most basic of all human emotions: the bond between a mother and child. This most universal of subjects is something every child will understand -- and not just understand, but feel. And with the beautiful, equally minimal illustrations depicting the big, blue ocean, this book is certain to put every child, and every parent, in a trance -- from beginning to end. And the ending is ultimately a very happy, life-affirming, love-affirming one -- that will leave most readers with a big smile tempered with tears, like the sunshine that follows, say, a tsunami.

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